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The "Ice Bucket Challenge" and the Bible

I love it when popular culture validates the truth of God’s own word. Right now the world around us is on fire; from riots in Ferguson to beheadings in Iraq to war between Israel and Palestine, and throw in a 6.0 Earthquake in Northern California. If you want a guaranteed headache, spend too much time watching the nightly news.

Then sweeping the social media scene along comes the “ice bucket challenge.” Perhaps you’ve already soaked your head for the cause of research for ALS. Folks from every walk of life have joined the fun including our just past President, George W. Bush. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJaDBzaAPAc He concludes his challenge by inviting someone from the opposition party to take up the challenge as well. Even a teasing sense of bi-partianship feels good.

A hearty laugh relieves some of the daily stress of living in a world that is broken.
Proverbs 17:22 reads “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Laughter is good medicine and watching various friends dump ice water on their heads for a good cause brings a smile to my face and again affirms to me that the God who made us knows how we are designed.

How have you and how have I intentionally made room in our lives for laughter? We need it and it honors God’s word when we enjoy it. Even if it means dumping ice water on our head!

People like a good challenge. When the emotions of the heart are stirred, all reasoning is set aside and people are found to do impossible things. Whether it is a teenager's dangerous stunt on a bi-cycle or an "ice-bucket challenge" a good challenge can quickly catch on. Why is that? Could it be that, in that challenge people identify with each other in the courage it takes to do something extraordinary and in the ecstasy in victory. Hebrews 11 is that challege, the challenge to join the Hall of Faith.
The Christian life is a challenge. It is a difficult path, a narrow one, not one that many have taken or can take. Some have been flogged, chained, maimed, massacred, sawn in half, burnt alive, threatened, mocked, and yet finished the race well. Paul says (2 Tim 4:7), "I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Let it be a challenge to every believer to continue in our faith, without wavering. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith." (Heb 12:1-2). Would you take this "ice-bucket challege" with the many men and women of faith?

1John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.